My personal iPhone photography almost always takes one of three paths. I call them: The Destination Path, The Along-the-Way Path, and The I-Have-No-Fucking-Idea Path. They’re not mutually exclusive, and they’re certainly not ironclad rules. They’re simply the ways I find myself moving through the world with my phone in hand, trying to make sense of what I see, what I feel, and what I want to remember.
The Destination Path
The first is the most obvious, and the most common among photographers of every skill level. I pick a destination, and I go there. It might be a lighthouse on Cape Cod, a canyon wall in West Texas, or a gritty urban street corner in Austin. I walk, bike, or drive to that place with intention. The goal is clear. The subject is known. I arrive, I shoot, and when I’m satisfied, I move on. Done. Next.
There’s nothing wrong with this approach. In fact, it’s how most travel guides and photo workshops are structured. You’re led to a place where there’s a proven photograph waiting for you. Overlook pull-outs, postcard viewpoints, the “Instagram wall.” You can’t really miss. You just show up, raise the phone, and press the red button.
But here’s the catch: photography that starts with a destination can sometimes end with predictability. You already know what you’re after, so the element of surprise is minimized. The photograph becomes documentation more than discovery. Sure, the light might change, a bird might fly into the frame, or a stranger might wander into the shot, but the scaffolding is already built.
For me, the Destination Path scratches the itch of efficiency. I know what I want, and I go get it. But it rarely leaves me feeling stirred to my core. It doesn’t keep me awake at night replaying images in my mind’s eye. It’s like a checklist. Necessary, useful, and productive—but not usually transformative.
The Along-the-Way Path
Then there’s the second approach, the Along-the-Way Path. This one is less rigid, more serendipitous. I still pick a beginning point and usually an end point—say, driving from Marfa to Santa Fe, or biking from one end of Boston Harbor to the other—but what happens between those points is wide open.
This is the path of roadside attractions, weathered barns, ghost towns, and strangers whose faces you can’t forget. It’s the path of “Wait, pull over, I need to shoot this.” The Along-the-Way Path acknowledges that some of the best photographs are not at the destination but along the journey.
The difference is subtle but important. Instead of being chained to the big attraction at the end, I keep my eyes peeled for the in-between moments: the gas station with peeling turquoise paint, the cowboy leaning on a fence at dusk, the puddle in the middle of a dirt road reflecting the sky like liquid glass.
These are not places listed on a map. They’re not marked by guidebooks. They’re stumbled upon. And stumbling is part of the magic.
The Along-the-Way Path has taught me patience. It has taught me to move slowly enough to notice. It has taught me that photography, like life, isn’t about rushing to the finish line but savoring what unfolds between here and there.
The I-Have-No-Fucking-Idea Path
And then there’s the third path—the wild card. The one I love most, and the one that feels most alive. I call it the I-Have-No-Fucking-Idea Path.
This is when I just go. No plan, no agenda, no end point. I wander. I drift. I let curiosity be my compass. Some days I drive until a dirt road calls my name. Other days I walk into a neighborhood I’ve never noticed before. Sometimes I follow the sound of music, or the glint of light on water, or the smell of smoke from a backyard fire pit.
It’s the most vulnerable way to photograph, because it starts with nothing but openness. But it’s also the most rewarding, because it leaves room for everything.
On these days, I feel like a kid again. Remember being seven years old and riding your bike with no plan? You just rode until the sun began to set, and then you figured out how to get home. That’s the spirit of the I-Have-No-Fucking-Idea Path.
And I’ll tell you what: the photographs I make when I have no idea where I’m going often turn out to be my most honest. They’re not forced. They’re not staged. They’re not anticipated. They’re simply encountered.
Why These Paths Matter
You might think I’m just splitting hairs, categorizing the obvious. But I think it matters. Because how we move through the world with a camera says a lot about how we move through the world without one.
The Destination Path mirrors the way many of us live our lives: set goals, work toward them, and check them off the list. Efficient, but sometimes uninspired.
The Along-the-Way Path reflects a mindset of balance: yes, we have places to go, but let’s leave enough slack in the rope to notice what we pass along the way. It’s a way of making peace between productivity and presence.
And the I-Have-No-Fucking-Idea Path? That’s the reminder we all need that life is not just about destinations or even about journeys—it’s about wonder. About letting yourself be surprised. About loosening your grip on control and giving yourself permission to get lost.
Today’s Photos
The photos I’m sharing today come from the I-Have-No-Fucking-Idea Path. I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t know what I would see. I just went. And in the going, I found moments that would have otherwise been invisible: a rusted bicycle leaning against a chain-link fence, a burst of wildflowers growing through a crack in the pavement, a woman laughing to herself while reading a book on a stoop.
They’re not photos you could plan. They’re not photos you could Google. They’re not photos you could tell Siri to take you to. They exist only because I allowed myself to wander without a fucking clue.
And maybe that’s the real lesson here. Some of the best things in life—some of the best things in art—are found when you stop trying so hard to find them.
Closing Thoughts
So that’s the framework I carry in my pocket: three paths, three ways of seeing, three ways of being in the world with a camera. The Destination Path, the Along-the-Way Path, and the I-Have-No-Fucking-Idea Path.
Some days call for one, some for another. Sometimes I start with one and end with another. Sometimes they blend into each other like overlapping exposures. But together, they remind me that photography isn’t just about making pictures. It’s about the rhythm of exploration.
And if you take nothing else from this ramble, take this: don’t be afraid of the I-Have-No-Fucking-Idea Path. Don’t be afraid to get lost, to let go, to wander without purpose. Because that’s where life sneaks up on you. That’s where the honest photographs hide. That’s where the world reveals itself, not as you expected, but as it actually is.
So here’s to wandering. Here’s to surprise. Here’s to saying: I have no fucking idea where I’m going, but I’m going anyway.
Enjoy the photos.
Click.
Jack.
